Wage

Minimum Wages on the Rise in 2018

Doãn Giang June 21 2018 12:00AM GMT + 7

In 2018, Vietnam along with several ASEAN countries will see a rise in their minimum wages to support the rising costs of living. The region’s growth in the past few years has been largely attributed to the manufacturing industry, driven by low labor costs. As more investors adopt the “China Plus One” strategy, understanding the rise in wages will be crucial for maintaining the delicate balance between labor costs and productivity in Vietnam and its neighboring countries.

Vietnam has revised the minimum wage caps in effect from January 2018. Currently, there are two kinds of minimum wages.

Common Minimum Wage

The first type is the common minimum wage, which is used to calculate salaries for employees in state-owned organizations and enterprises. The common minimum wage has been increased by 90,000 VND/month from 1,300,000 VND /month (US$ 57) to 1,390,000 VND /month (US$ 61), in effect from 1 July 2018.

Regional minimum salary

The second type of minimum wage is used for employees in all non-state enterprises and is based on regions as defined by the government. From 1 Jan 2018, the National Wages Council has finalized the regional minimum salary rates for 2018, as follows:

In 2018, almost all the ASEAN nations will see a rise in minimum wages. Laos and Myanmar have already proposed new wages, while Malaysia is currently deciding on the new minimum wage structure.

Wage increases often lead to an increase in consumer spending. With the domestic market growing in Vietnam and other ASEAN member states, the rising minimum wages will lead to an increase in consumption and offset any reduced investment and net exports to a certain extent. However, countries have to maintain the delicate balance between inflation, wage levels, and productivity so as to not to disrupt the overall labor market.

Low labor costs as a competitive factor, is not sustainable in the long-term and one should focus on the development of the service industry, high-tech industries, and domestic consumption for a sustainable growth like China.